Bluebirds on the fenceline in Lethbridge County
Joe Michielsen checking one of his most productive nest boxes on Skull Springs Trail
MBTCS recently submitted an article to Lethbridge County’s first Rural Living & Ag Extension Magazine. Check out the article below and stay tuned for a full-length feature about Joe Michielsen’s work in the upcoming Nature Alberta magazine.
Northeast of Coaldale, tucked between prairie grass and weathered fence posts, a bluebird conservation success story has soared for 25 years. Since 2001, Joe Michielsen has regularly walked the Skull Springs Trail, tending to nest boxes that have fledged more than 1,400 Mountain Bluebirds.
What began as a personal retirement project has become a model of what one volunteer can do for the land. Each spring, Joe checks and cleans boxes, tracks nesting activity and fine-tunes locations. Over time, this quiet, consistent work has helped restore vital cavity-nesting habitat for one of Alberta’s most iconic grassland birds.
“It’s amazing to watch the nests fill with eggs, hatch and then see the parents coax their young out for their first flight,” says Joe.
He’s not alone in this work. Joe is one of more than 100 volunteers with the Mountain Bluebird Trails Conservation Society (MBTCS). Together, they monitor over 2,700 nest boxes across southern Alberta, providing the cavity-nesting sites that bluebirds, swallows and wrens need to raise their young.
Mountain Bluebirds are more than a flash of colour on the fencepost. These insectivores are fast, agile hunters that help control pest populations in pasture, hayfields and shelterbelts. They’re also indicators of healthy land. When bluebirds are thriving, the surrounding ecosystem likely is too.
Mountain Bluebird nestlings on Skull Springs Trail
Nest boxes bring those benefits closer to home. They invite families to spend intentional time outdoors – monitoring, learning and noticing life on the land. A trail of nest boxes becomes a way to mark time together with purpose.
Joe’s long-term observations prove that with proper placement and care, a simple wooden box can become home to generation after generation. 1,411 fledglings, and counting, on his one trail alone (Joe monitors multiple bluebird trails!).
If you live in Lethbridge County, you likely already have ideal bluebird habitat: pasture edges, fencelines and open fields with sparse trees for perching. Add a few nest boxes, and you’ve taken the first step.
Joe’s experience offers a few key lessons:
Place boxes early. In southern Alberta, bluebirds return as early as late February. Having boxes in place by then supports more successful broods.
Pick good spots. Choose open areas with clear sightlines and healthy insect activity. Avoid low ground and dense brush that invites predators.
Maintain and monitor. Putting up a box means taking responsibility for it. Without regular checks, birds can die from wet nests, parasites, or predators. Maintenance isn’t optional—it’s the most important part!
Nest boxes aren’t just for bluebirds either. On Skull Springs Trail, Joe has hosted tree swallows, house wrens, and more recently violet-green swallows.
“One of the best parts is just being out on the trail,” says Joe. “Every time I go, I see something I haven’t seen before. I’ve been able to share that with family and friends.”
Bluebird conservation doesn’t require much. Only a little care, curiosity and the willingness to give nature the space it needs. For 25 years, Joe has shown what’s possible when one person pays attention to a small patch of prairie. It adds up.
Whether you’re a producer, a 4-H parent, a retiree, or someone who simply enjoys seeing birds on the wire, you can be part of the next chapter of conservation.
For trail-building guides, nest box designs, or to connect with local volunteers, visit BluebirdTrails.org and explore MBTCS’ Essential Information for Trail Monitors. Start small. The birds will take it from there.
Read more about Joe’s journey in the upcoming Winter edition of Nature Alberta magazine.
Did you know?
In 2025, MBTCS is celebrating 30 years as a registered Canadian charity (and 51 years as an organization). Everyone is invited to support our endowment fund through the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta, for the next 30 years of bluebird conservation.
Learn more and get involved at BluebirdTrails.org.